1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to press machinery and more particularly to such apparatus for manually applying heat applied transfers with manually displaced platens.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lettering and logos for apparel such as shirts and jackets are often made as heat applied transfers. Such transfers bond to the apparel by releasing an adhering agent such as ink or adhesive which lock the heat applied transfer to the apparel fibers. Highly developed chemistries are employed to improve the quality and consistency of heat applied transfers, but such transfers often require precise operating conditions of temperature, pressure and time in order to properly apply the heat applied transfers and avoid incomplete, faded or obliterated transfer displays.
One of the problems of previously known apparatus is that thickness of the material used in apparel may differ substantially. In addition, the thickness of the lettering applied to the apparel may also vary through a wide range. However, some previously known presses for applying heat applied transfers are not adjustable for accommodating different thicknesses of materials and transfers.
One of the primary problems that contributes to distorted transfers and that complicates handling a change in thicknesses between transfers and materials is that pivoting movement of one platen toward the other platen causes a pinching effect at the end of the platens nearest the pivot point. Such pinching of the material laid between the platens before or during transfer application can deform a transfer or interfere with its proper position on the material. Another problem with the previously known pivot mechanisms for the platens is that nonuniform pressure may be exerted across the surface areas of the press platens. For example, a pressure gradient with substantially greater pressure between the platens at the ends nearest the pivot point may cause bleeding of the colors in the transfers and the material at that end, even where proper pressure is applied at the later-closing end spaced apart from the pivot point.
In addition, many of the previously known pivot mechanisms for displacing the press platens together did not provide adjustment of pressure which may be very important to enabling transfers to be applied to different types or thicknesses of material. Furthermore, the pressure between the platens was often inconsistent, particularly to the extent that external pads were laid between the platen and the apparel to be decorated in order to adjust the spacing between the platens in the closed position. As a result, the previously known apparatus provided inconsistent results with the transfers designed for application at predetermined temperatures and pressures.